Honest reviews & sharing from mummies to mummies

[Review + Giveaway] Best Memories: Family Photography with PhotoKraft

Growing up watching fashion shows and attending photoshoots, I’ve always loved the studio environment. At 17yo, I did a brief stint as a hair and fashion model and totally loved it. On a daily basis, I don’t wear make up or bother to tidy up my hair. However, it’s always amazing how make up and the right photographer can work wonders to anyone.

This is why we decided to do as many professional photoshoots as we can ever since our first son was born in 2007.
Why must be professional photographer? Because I’m not a selfie person. Neither do I like to take photos. Paying for the shoot forces us to take photos with our kids and I feel more confident (with full make up done by professional make-up artist). Otherwise, my kids will just have zero photos of us when we grow old and die. Serious.

We’ve tried many studios over the years and what we always noticed is how drastic the price increases once each photographer has built their own portfolios. I recently contacted a studio we used in 2008 and I was shocked that the family package went from $200+ in 2008 to $1500++ now in 2016! Too scary for my pocket! However, the charges probably reflect the experience of the photographer and his team.

BUT, don’t worry! After my crazy scouting, I finally found a studio which is friendly on the pocket. They seem new because they just launched their new brand & logo in 2016, but I found out that they are veterans! They’ve done photoshoot for magazines, events, weddings, and many other families too!

Make-up by their make-up artist is $100. Initially, I planned to head to my usual salon for a hair wash followed by a make-up session and hair styling, which costs $65. However, the mere thought of having to drag 3 kids along to the salon (though they can actually walk to my mum’s place to rest) was s.c.a.r.y.
So, I opted for convenience and asked Kelly to arrange for their make-up artist for me.

They have other various top ups available which were clearly stated upfront with no hidden costs.

And if you prefer them to print additional photos, they have a list too! You can email them for more information as the list is a little too long to be posted here. 🙂

Let’s go into more details about our shoot…

TIP #1: Choose a timing in which you know your children will not be cranky!We opted for a 2.30pm shoot as this is usually just after Meimei’s first afternoon nap (12 – 2pm). This means that she will be fresh and less chances of her being cranky.

And of course, because she just woke up, high likely she will want to latch. So Kelly is super thoughtful as a fellow mummy herself and prepped a comfy armchair with privacy from curtains as a breastfeeding area!

Please pardon our messy clothes lying around when I took this photo!

TIP #2: KEEP YOUR KIDS OCCUPIED WHILE YOU GET MAKE-UP DONE
As mentioned earlier, the thought of dragging the kids and making them wait for me for around 45 min to an hour to get make-up and hair done was scary!

Again, Kelly is super thoughtful and prepped a play yard to contain my super active Meimei! And there are many colourful balls which the boys loved.

So while I got my make-up done, Kelly & Max were looking through the selection of clothes we brought along. Ahjussi and my helper got the kids changed first.

And while waiting, Monster chanced on the props and fell in love with the vintage looking car!

He kept playing with it and Max decided on some quick test shoots of him on it. And end up, the boys started their shoot while I was still getting ready!

TIP #3: Prepare outfits in advance
Upon arrival, I got Ahjussi to hang up our outfits for Max and Kelly to take a look so they had an idea on background colour/theme for us. They have thoughtfully prepared a rack, so we simply hung them up! We brought them in their hangers as they have been nicely ironed at home.

I didn’t send photos of the outfits I prepared before the session but it is good to do so as the photographer can take some time to plan and conceptualise your shoot before your session. This will mean a more personalised session too.

Choose something your kids have worn before so that they will not be distracted by the new clothing.

TIP #4: Think about what you want out of the session & communicate it to the photographer
If you have a particular pose or group shot that you must have, let the photographer know beforehand so that once the right opportunity arises (when kids are warmed up and not cranky), the photographer will direct you to get it captured!

TIP #5: Aim to reach early if your kids are slow to warm
Only you as the parent will know how your child will react to strangers. If your child takes a while to warm up to strangers, reaching early and allowing your child some time to mingle will be good.

TIP #6: Talk to your child a few days before the shoot
Let them know what is going on and what to expect. Children are a lot more cooperative when they know what to expect!

TIP #7: Bring your child’s fave toy along!
We forgot to bring Meimei’s fave toy and had a hard time getting her to look at the cam and smile. Check out a short video on the process!

And this is the result!

And after this… She got somewhat hungry so I had to latch her. And since we were already there…

I thought: Why not do a quick breastfeeding shot for memory sake?

Not many mummies are comfortable with letting a male photographer do a breastfeeding shoot of them, but let me share, it is really not as bad as you think! Breastfeeding is NORMAL! I’m just feeding my child! My breasts are not sex objects!

Max is super professional. Kelly stepped in to help with the pose and positioning while Max stayed far (behind the camera). It was purely him shooting a mother feeding her child. Simple.

And Meimei was covering the other nipple with her cute little hands. Nothing much exposed. Don’t worry!

TIP #8: Prep snacks & drinks
It can get tiring for the little ones, so their face snack will lift their spirits! Otherwise, you will get a semi-grumpy boy like the following:

TIP #9: Plan early!
If you intend to use the photos for their birthday invite or any special occasion, do plan early!
The typical lead time for photos to be ready is around 4 weeks, so we are still patiently waiting for more photos to be sent to us. Kelly has graciously sent us a few photos for the purpose of this blog post within a week from the shoot. (BIG THANK YOU!)

Although PhotoKraft’s studio is located in an industrial area, it is quite easy to find and once you step into their beautiful studio, you will forget that you are even in an industrial area!

And no worries about the loo. They have one right in their studio!

I hope you will enjoy your photography session with PhotoKraft like we did!

How to Join:
1. Like Photokraft Facebook page.
2. Like Mummies Voices Facebook page.
3. Like & share this post on your Facebook wall (*remember to set as Public*).
4. Comment at Mummies Voices Facebook Post and tag 10 friends or as many as you like!
5. Fill in this form (we will pick the winner list from this form): http://goo.gl/forms/JIVRSR5pKx

Giveaway ends 17th Jan 2016. Winners will be picked on 18th Jan 2016.

NOTE: Mummy Audrey has arranged with PhotoKraft for free sessions for all mummies who shop with thelittleonesinmylife (TLO.com.sg) at the upcoming baby fair!
It is Baby World at Expo Hall 5 from 15th to 17th January 2016. Check them out at Booth A03/05!
Vouchers will be given out to customers who purchase min $20 in single purchase. Limited to 1 voucher per customer. Only 1000 vouchers available daily!